Linking and composing worksheets

Abstract

Linking and composing worksheets including receiving a request to create a referencing worksheet linked from a data source worksheet, wherein the data source worksheet is a presentation of a data set from a database; retrieving data source worksheet metadata using a reference to the data source worksheet metadata in the request; and creating, using the data source worksheet metadata, the referencing worksheet presenting at least a subset of the data set presented by the data source worksheet, wherein creating the referencing worksheet comprises: generating a database query using the data source worksheet metadata and referencing worksheet metadata received in the request; and issuing the database query to the database.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of linking and composing worksheets, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to create a referencing worksheet linked from a data source worksheet, wherein the data source worksheet is a presentation of a data set from a database;   retrieving data source worksheet metadata using a reference to the data source worksheet metadata in the request; and   creating, using the data source worksheet metadata, the referencing worksheet presenting at least a subset of the data set presented by the data source worksheet, wherein creating the referencing worksheet comprises:
 generating a database query using the data source worksheet metadata and referencing worksheet metadata received in the request; and 
 issuing the database query to the database. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein creating the referencing worksheet further comprises:
 receiving, in response to the database query, the subset of the data set from the database; and   presenting, in a graphical user interface, the subset of the data set from the database including organizing the subset of the data set based on the referencing worksheet metadata.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the data source worksheet metadata excludes from presentation a particular column of the data set; and   wherein receiving the request to create the referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet comprises:
 presenting a group of columns of the data set that excludes the particular column; and 
 receiving, from a user, a selection from the group of columns. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request comprises an identifier of a version of the data source worksheet metadata. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein receiving the request to create the referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet comprises:
 determining that a first user has pending changes to an original referencing worksheet after a second user has committed changes to the original referencing worksheet; and 
 generating the request to create a referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet, wherein the referencing worksheet metadata is a clone of the original referencing worksheet metadata, and wherein the identifier of the data source worksheet identifies the data source worksheet linked by the original referencing worksheet, and 
   wherein the method of  claim 1  further comprises applying the pending changes made by the first user to the referencing worksheet.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the referencing worksheet metadata comprises an identifier of at least one column presented in the data source worksheet. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the referencing worksheet metadata comprises an identifier of additional data source worksheet metadata for an additional data source worksheet. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for linking and composing worksheets, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of: receiving a request to create a referencing worksheet linked from a data source worksheet, wherein the data source worksheet is a presentation of a data set from a database;
 retrieving data source worksheet metadata using a reference to the data source worksheet metadata in the request; and   creating, using the data source worksheet metadata, the referencing worksheet presenting at least a subset of the data set presented by the data source worksheet, wherein creating the referencing worksheet comprises:
 generating a database query using the data source worksheet metadata and referencing worksheet metadata received in the request; and 
 issuing the database query to the database. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein creating the referencing worksheet further comprises:
 receiving, in response to the database query, the subset of the data set from the database; and   presenting, in a graphical user interface, the subset of the data set from the database including organizing the subset of the data set based on the referencing worksheet metadata.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the data source worksheet metadata excludes from presentation a particular column of the data set; and   wherein receiving the request to create the referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet comprises:
 presenting a group of columns of the data set that excludes the particular column; and 
 receiving, from a user, a selection from the group of columns. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the request comprises an identifier of a version of the data source worksheet metadata. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein receiving the request to create the referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet comprises:
 determining that a first user has pending changes to an original referencing worksheet after a second user has committed changes to the original referencing worksheet; and 
 generating the request to create a referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet, wherein the referencing worksheet metadata is a clone of the original referencing worksheet metadata, and wherein the identifier of the data source worksheet identifies the data source worksheet linked by the original referencing worksheet, and 
   wherein the method of  claim 1  further comprises applying the pending changes made by the first user to the referencing worksheet.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the referencing worksheet metadata comprises an identifier of at least one column presented in the data source worksheet. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the referencing worksheet metadata comprises an identifier of additional data source worksheet metadata for an additional data source worksheet. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product for linking and composing worksheets, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:
 receiving a request to create a referencing worksheet linked from a data source worksheet, wherein the data source worksheet is a presentation of a data set from a database;   retrieving data source worksheet metadata using a reference to the data source worksheet metadata in the request; and   creating, using the data source worksheet metadata, the referencing worksheet presenting at least a subset of the data set presented by the data source worksheet, wherein creating the referencing worksheet comprises:
 generating a database query using the data source worksheet metadata and referencing worksheet metadata received in the request; and 
 issuing the database query to the database. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein creating the referencing worksheet further comprises:
 receiving, in response to the database query, the subset of the data set from the database; and   presenting, in a graphical user interface, the subset of the data set from the database including organizing the subset of the data set based on the referencing worksheet metadata.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 ,
 wherein the data source worksheet metadata excludes from presentation a particular column of the data set; and   wherein receiving the request to create the referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet comprises:
 presenting a group of columns of the data set that excludes the particular column; and 
 receiving, from a user, a selection from the group of columns. 
   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the request comprises an identifier of a version of the data source worksheet metadata. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 15 ,
 wherein receiving the request to create the referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet comprises:
 determining that a first user has pending changes to an original referencing worksheet after a second user has committed changes to the original referencing worksheet; and 
 generating the request to create a referencing worksheet linked from the data source worksheet, wherein the referencing worksheet metadata is a clone of the original referencing worksheet metadata, and wherein the identifier of the data source worksheet identifies the data source worksheet linked by the original referencing worksheet, and 
   wherein the method of  claim 1  further comprises applying the pending changes made by the first user to the referencing worksheet.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the referencing worksheet metadata comprises an identifier of at least one column presented in the data source worksheet.